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Thursday, 28 October 2010

why I don't read the classics....

My reading age is 16 and it has been that way for a while. I love it and don't see any reason why I should change it. I love what I read and I like to think that I read a wide range or styles and genres. It did occur to me the other day that this isn't true. I don't read classics or anything remotely weighty. People find this a bit strange especially as my degree is in history. I often have people either buy or recommend me weighty historical tomes or classics because they know I teach History and I like reading. What I can't get through to them is the fact that I don't actually read those types of things anymore and I've been trying to pin down my reasons why. So far I have the following:

Classic Novels were the types of books I had to read in school. While I have always loved reading I hated reading shakespeare or hobbit or great expectations in school. I don't know if that was because I was being told I had to read them or because you only got to read a little bit of them (what was the point in that?) or because the class I was in was awful so I just associate that type of book with bad memories.

A weighty book be it academic or classic takes ages to read. I resent taking so much time to read a book I do not particularly enjoy

I spend 4 years doing a degree reading a variety of academic texts. I enjoyed my degree and my subject and I try to pass that enjoyment on everyday to the kids but nowadays when I come home after a long day my brain just wants to turn off and enjoy something escapist.

So all in all that is why you will not find anything remotely grown up being reviewed on here. My inner child in fully in charge!

3 comments:

I don't think there's anything wrong with not reading classics. They're only classics depending on the people you ask. I think there are some worth reading but maybe one day you'll find one you actually like.

I've always loved reading classics for some reason. I read Wuthering Heights when I was 10 and have read it many times over since then. Although, I really hated Shakespeare as well as a lot of other books I was "forced" to read in school. As long as you find reading enjoyable then it shouldn't matter what your reading preferences are.

I completely understand. I spent my undergrad and graduate years reading the classics. I always made sure to include some YA books in with my school work. Now I mostly read YA lit, but I do try to include some of the classics in the mix (at least one a year, I guess that's not some). Pride and Prejudice is next on the list. I hope I can get to it by the end of the year.